Josh Butler (American football)
American football player (born 1996)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Josh Butler (born November 25, 1996) is an American professional football cornerback.[1] He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans before graduating in 2018. He also has played for the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League (USFL).
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
| Profile | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Cornerback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | November 25, 1996 Dallas, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 192 lb (87 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | West Mesquite (TX) | ||||||||
| College | Michigan State (2015–2019) | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 2020: undrafted | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2025 | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Early life
Butler was born on November 25, 1996[1] in Dallas, Texas. He attended West Mesquite High School, starting at cornerback during his final two years. He was ranked as the nation's 241st best prospect and the 26th best cornerback by Rivals.com. Additionally, he saw action as a return specialist and wildcat quarterback.[2]
Personal life
College career
Butler redshirted his first season at Michigan State. As a redshirt freshman in 2016, he garnered snaps in 11 games, primarily on special teams. As a sophomore in 2017, he started four games and collected 12 tackles. As a junior, he started five games, with 10 tackles and three passes defended. During his senior season in 2018, he started seven games, missing time due to injury. He recorded 25 tackles and 5 pass breakups.[2] During his senior night, Butler went viral for walking the field accompanied by his two dogs: Roxy and Remi.[4] Butler lost both his parents during his time at Michigan State.[5]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Broad jump | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11+1⁄8 in (1.81 m) | 176 lb (80 kg) | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 4.44 s | 4.12 s | 6.78 s | 9 ft 9 in (2.97 m) | ||||||
| All values from Pro Day[6][7] | ||||||||||||
The Spring League
In 2021, Butler played for the Conquerors of the developmental The Spring League.[8]
Michigan Panthers
On March 22, 2023, Butler agreed to terms with the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League.[9] Butler started all 11 games (including the postseason), tallying 35 tackles and 4 passes defended.[8]
Dallas Cowboys
On July 25, 2023, the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League signed Butler to their preseason roster.[8] During the preseason, Butler collected 9 tackles and a tackle-for-loss, while also defending 2 passes in the final preseason game.[10] While he was cut from the 53-man roster, he was later signed to the Dallas Cowboys practice squad.[11] He signed a reserve/future contract on January 15, 2024.[12]
Butler was waived by the Cowboys on August 27, 2024, and re-signed to the practice squad.[13][14] He was promoted to the active roster on November 18. In 5 games for Dallas, he totaled 5 pass deflections, 1 sack, and 21 combined tackles. Butler suffered a torn ACL in Week 13 against the New York Giants, and was ruled out for the season.[15]
On August 30, 2026, Butler was waived by the Cowboys as part of final roster cuts.[16]
